


Medallion's Spark

by Saeryu



Series: Tale of the White Spark [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, F/M, Fantasy, Fire Emblem - Freeform, Friendship/Love, Humor, Male-Female Friendship, Medallion's Spark, Novelization, Path of Radiance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2018-11-18 12:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11291199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saeryu/pseuds/Saeryu
Summary: Everyone knows the legend of the Blue Flame. But like how every flame starts with a spark, there is a side to every story. Meet Reina Scarlett. Thirteen years old, a crybaby, and the biggest scaredy cat to walk the face of the earth. The last thing she expected was to be ambushed on the way home from school and locked into a haunted mansion. Let alone be spirited away to the Tellius continent.When Ike mistakes her for a mage with nowhere to go, lost and fearful Reina leaps at the opportunity, unaware of the consequences her decision will bring. But when Daein suddenly declares war on Crimea, everything changes. Now caught between her own desire to return and fighting a war never meant to be her's, Reina, Ike and company get more than they bargained for... (A Path of Radiance novelization).





	1. A Slip in Time

"What. Is this."

The beautiful head girl of three spat lowly as she carelessly threw a pad of sheets.

The stapled bunch of papers landed at Reina's purple sneakers, scattering Autumn leaves. They fell away to reveal the large C circled in a brilliant red, marking her group's recent lab report. She trembled as the Grade seemed to glare back at her, words of defense long lost in her throat.

"Well?" Jessica demanded harshly.

Reina flinched again. She wrung her small hands nervously, long slick with sweat. But the frustration of recalling her partner's own refusal contributing to the project gave her the courage to mumble out. "B-but… it would've been i-impossible to get a good grade if I was the only one to-"

"So you thought it was a great idea to snitch to Miss Sceltos about that? Figures. Stupid Goody Two Shoes, no wonder no one wants to have you as a partner." Elise rolled her gray eyes beside Jessica, admiring her own black painted nails.

Completely cowed, Reina fell into a hurtful silence.

Kaitlyn gasped in outrage, "Or maybe… this was her plan all along? Snitch on you to the teacher, so even if she screwed up the report, she'll get a gold star for 'initiative!' Makes sense, doesn't it?"

The brunette whipped up her head in alarm, ponytail smacking the back of her neck. "N-n-no! I wouldn't-!"

Eyes flashing in anger, Jessica stomped towards Reina and shoved her roughly to the ground. Reina cried out in surprise and pain as wet auburn leaves and mud stained her red jacket. She slowly sat up on her elbows, only to have the muddy report shoved into her terrified face. Reina froze, paralyzed at the dangerous sneer lining Jessica's brown eyes. "You see this? My parents are going to freak."

Reina trembled, unable to say anything. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the usual pain.

"… If they knew about it, that is."

What? The girl reflexively looked at Jessica, stunned.

Gone with the enraged look and replaced with a smug sneer, she continued to loom over Reina menacingly. It only made Reina even more wary as the other girl pointed behind her in the distance.

"There's a mansion just down the woods. Bury the papers there. If you do, I'll forget any of this happened. Not a bad deal, don't you think?"

At once, Reina's own emerald green eyes landed on the sheets in Jessica's hand. Bury it… at the mansion down the woods? But that place was-

Her eyes widened again, this time in near disproportions. "Y-you can't be serious! That place was supposed to be-!"

'It was supposed to be haunted! Everyone who went there has supposedly never come back!' The terrifying words lodged in her throat at the last moment. Her legs shook, the world spinning as colour drained from her face.

In her daze, she felt Elise yank her hard onto her feet by the arm. "Come on. Move it." The girl spat.

Kaitlyn grabbed Reina's cerulean blue knapsack, hauling it over her shoulder.

She squeezed her watering eyes shut. 'I…. I don't want to!'

But when Jessica's menacing glare sharpened at her lack of movement, Reina's feet moved mechanically, forcing her deeper into the woods. The girls followed, watching her struggle with smug satisfaction.

Reina cursed herself, tears pricking the back of her eyes. 'Why can't they ever leave me alone?! Why can't I say it?! I hate them! I wish they didn't exist!'

The park woods remained empty and quiet as the dilapidated mansion's gates soon came into sight. Reina stopped for a moment to quietly gasp. The place was enormous, even bigger than she thought. The mansion was lined with stone and rows of broken windows. A cracked, marble fountain decorated its central courtyard. All trees surrounding it had already lost their leaves, testament for the coming Winter months.

But what made everything in Reina's body tingle with foreboding dread was the bright yellow safety tape wrapped around the premises. It was clearly meant to be sealed off from the public.

'There's still time to turn back...' Her mind whispered. 'Say something! No matter how you look at it, it's crazy to go in!'

Her knees knocked. 'I... I...'

Kaitlyn scowled. "What are you waiting for? Are you retarded?"

Reina cringed, all previous thoughts forgotten. She slowly slipped under the tape, gingerly opening the door. The rusted lock fell from its hinge, making her jump squeaking.

It was open.

Carefully opening it the rest of the way, she peeked around with frightened eyes. No one seemed to be around...

She breathed in deeply before taking trembling steps up the stone path, up to the mansion's front door. Clutching the papers to her chest, Reina shakily looked back at the girls. She felt her heart drop to her stomach when Kaitlyn motioned for her to head inside. She reached for the rusted brass handle, opening it with trembling fingers.

So far, so good... the girl gulped before placing a purple-sneakered foot forward. The floorboard creaked loudly, making her jump back with a strangled squeak. "H-hello... anyone there...?"

She mentally smacked herself. 'Of course not, it's abandoned, Stupid!'

At least, she hoped. But where was she expected to hide the-

The door suddenly slammed shut behind her, making Reina scream. The papers fell from her arms as she leapt onto the door. Mean, high-pitched laughs came from the other side as she hastily fumbled with the knob. It was locked.

Their angry taunts filled her ears.

"So stupid! Did you really think you'd get away with what you've done?" Kaitlyn's voice sneered.

"You're getting what you deserve, Goody-Goody."

"Have fun~" Jessica crowed before they laughed nastily again, voices fading as they left.

"No, wait! Stop!" Reina's throat finally worked again as she banged against the door. "Stop! Don't..." She fearfully yelled, "Don't leave me here! Please! Someone! Let me out! Please!"

Silence met her pleas. Defeat and hopelessness crashed down on her like a wave. She slumped back against the wooden frame before slowly slinking to the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she bleakly watched the setting sun's rays pour in through the broken glass. Her shoulders shook with muffled sobs.

It wasn't fair…! She tried so hard to be good. Good to adults around her, to her teachers, so her mother could have an easier time supporting their family. They told her she would eventually fit in if she played nice with the other kids. So why hasn't it happened yet? Why did she have to pretend?

Why did she have to be miserable?

Resentment and fear built up inside her as she hiccupped in tears, 'I'm scared... I'm scared! Someone...'

She whispered. "Help me..."

'Finally, she says it!'

She jerked up, face awash in tears. "W-who's there...?"

'You know, if you wanted help, you should just ask!' A childish voice chirped. The sound echoed, bouncing off the mansion's high ceiling. Reina whipped up her head in shock, furiously glancing around. When she saw no one, she turned deathly pale. "Who... a-are you? A g-g-g-g-g... ghost? Where are you?!"

'Oh! No, I'm not. Or at least, I don't think I am. Hmm, that's a good question really…' The voice took on a tone as if they were truly considering it.

What was that supposed to mean...?

'Play with me.'

Reina nearly fainted. The voice came this time frighteningly close to her ear. "B-but I don't...s-see..." She choked out, overwhelmed.

'You don't need to see.' It replied simply, confusing her further. 'Come with me...'

At once, the mansion began to spin. Reina thought she was having another dizzy spell when the floor itself began to give way. She scrambled to grab hold onto the floorboards as they disappeared, screaming, "W-what's happening?! Stop!"

'It's going to be fun!' It giggled, completely ignoring her. 'So much fun, you'll scream!'

The floor disappeared, as well as the mansion, its giggles accompanying her own screams down into the darkness...


	2. Mercenaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When all alone in a new world, what's a girl to do? Latch onto the first familiar thing she sees, of course. ... Wait, what do you mean that sword is real?

_Empty._

_It was the most appropriate word Reina could think of to describe the darkness. Confusion and anxiety filled her as she called out to no one, 'H-…hello…?'_

_Her voice didn't so much as echo in the silence. But no matter how far she wandered, she never seemed to come across any walls. Her brows furrowed as she continued groping around for an exit. 'Where am I, anyway…? How did I end up here?'_

_Reina thought hard, shutting her eyes. School just ended, so she took a shortcut through the park to get home. Kaitlyn and her friends had ambushed her near the exit, then-_

_Like a bolt of lightning, everything came rushing back at once._

_'The mansion!'_

_Her feet ground to a halt, panicked emerald eyes sweeping across the void around her. 'That's right! Kaitlyn's groupies forced me in as a dare! They locked me in, the voice came, the floor opened up, and-!'_

_The fall replayed itself in her head, her own distant screams ringing in her ears. She held herself, backing away as frightened sobs escaped her lips. 'D-does this mean I'm dead?! But I was just coming home from school! Even those girls wouldn't go so far as to…! Why is this happening to me?! I'm scared! I wanna go home! Help… someone help! Please!'_

_She suddenly gasped as something cold wrapped around her legs. She shakily glanced down, only to let out a terrified scream, as tendrils as dark as night wrapped themselves around her calves, slithering their way up like snakes to drag her down into an unseen void._

_She struggled to free herself, screaming. "No! Get off of me! L-let me go!"_

_Reina bent down to wrench them away with sweaty palms, only to meet the rough fabric of her jeans. Stubbornly clinging to the fabric, it was as if the dark ropes themselves were tattooed into her legs. Like at the mansion, her pleas went unheard as the girl continued to sink._

_Was she really going to die like this? In a place of total darkness she didn't know?_

_Her breathing grew erratic as tears gathered in the corners of her wide, petrified eyes. 'I don't want to die. I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die-!'_

_She whimpered out one last sob as the darkness covered her fully, feeling something hard be tucked into her arms._

…

"… ey… Hey!"

A firm shake on her shoulder.

Reina lowly groaned as she stirred, body aching on the hard floor. She felt herself be shaken as the voice came again, louder and clearer this time.

"You okay? Come on, wake up!"

'Unnngh… So loud…' She grumbled a tired sigh while pressing her temple against the ground. 'Head hurts… Floor feels great. So cold… Let me stay like this forever…'

Another long moment passed before the true extent of what she just thought hit her.

Floor? Cold?

Reina's eyes flew open.  _She was alive?!_

She shot up from the ground, practically giving herself whiplash as her head collided into another's with a sharp crack. Both parties painfully cried out while backing away, curses escaping the other's lips. Reina keenly whined over the boy's swears, hearing his tone abruptly shift from concern to bewildered annoyance.

"Oww…! What was that for?"

"I-I-I'm sorry! Really sorry! I didn't mean to-! Owowow…!"

Reina broke off whimpering, tearfully raising her head. Her blurry vision gradually faded away to reveal a blue-haired boy rubbing his forehead, sitting up with a pained grimace. If it weren't for his clothes and blue hair, she wouldn't have given his appearance a second look. But faced with the strange blue tunic, sword, and crimson cape like this, she couldn't help but openly stare.

Was he cosplaying? Halloween  _was_  just looming around the corner…

'Wait, is that sword clinking as he moves?! Does that mean it's real!?'

The stranger busied himself fixing his bandana, not noticing her gaping look. "Ugh… Well, that answers my own question, I guess. You don't appear to be hurt. Are you from Caldea?"

"C-Caldea?" The girl repeated blinking, snapping out of her daze. "N-no, I'm not. But…"

Reina warily looked around.

In place of the darkness was a small wooden hut, bereft of the mansion's large windows and dusty furniture. The wall behind the boy laid completely destroyed, leaving a pile of rubble with a group of people waiting on the other side. They looked in from the wreckage with various degrees of relief lining their faces. She knew she had what must've been a dumb look on her face with at least a dozen questions buzzing in her head, but all she could muster was a weak and disbelieving, "W-…who are you? Where am I…?"

The stranger bluntly replied, "I'm Ike of the Greil Mercenaries. We were sent to rid the village of some bandits. Do you remember anything about that?"

"B-bandits? Mercenaries? What do you-? Urf…" Reina suddenly swayed, feeling sick. As the fog in her head began to lift, her nose was hit with a thick copper stench. Her eyes and nose instinctively searched for the smell, only to land back on the dark red staining Ike's clothes.

Whatever lethargy remaining in her brain immediately left as she flew to her feet, babbling in panic. "O-oh my Gosh, a-a-are you okay?! We need to call an ambulance! Aah, n-no wait, before that, the bleeding-!"

She stepped backward, her heel nudging into something firm. Instinctively turning around, she missed the way Ike's eyes widened in warning.

"Hey, wait! Don't look!"

Reina immediately froze.

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the man leaning lifelessly against the wooden wall, his stomach sliced open and guts spilling. Blood spatters decorated the walls and the floor, a large axe laying by his feet. Her wandering eyes made the mistake of meeting the corpse's empty stare, draining the blood from her face. At once, her stomach began to roil.

Clapping a hand over her mouth, she scrambled outside and past the mercenaries, ignoring Ike's surprised shouts behind her. Running to the nearest bush, she bent over to hurl.

Throwing up for what seemed to be minutes, her mind raced with denial at what she just saw.

'W-what was that?! That couldn't possibly be a, a real...! B-b-but the smell… it was so – ugh..!' She gagged as she felt another round of bile pass her throat.

She remained bending over the bush a while longer before finally finishing, wiping her mouth on the back of her jacket sleeve. Staggering backwards, she took several deep breaths before standing, only to freeze once again.

Countless corpses akin to the one in the hut laid strewn about in the village streets, staining them red; the girl couldn't help but watch, almost transfixed, as villagers carted wheelbarrows of corpses away to dump carelessly off the face of the cliff. The dull splashes the corpses made continued to be swallowed by the crashing waves, with seagulls' cries filling the air. Reina would even consider the birds to be peaceful and soothing if they didn't contradict what was taking place before her.

The girl gulped loudly as she forced herself to hobble away and back to the strange group on shaky legs. Her terrified eyes met Ike's navy blue as he stood cross-armed outside the rubble, taking in her frightened appearance with a semblance to pity. "… I would ask if you were okay, but that just told me everything I needed to know."

"Seeing the first body is always rough." The green-haired horseman nodded sympathetically. He leaned over from his saddle to offer a leather skin from his bag. "Do you need some water?"

Reina couldn't help but eagerly nod. Uncorking the flask, she managed to spare a quick 'thank you,' before taking several gulps. But even as she quenched her thirst, her mind spun as it struggled to take in everything that happened, let alone make sense of it. Their way of dress, the way they spoke and acted… it was nothing she had ever seen before. Just where did that voice take her? 

The horsewoman then addressed the group while readying her steed. "Now that everything's been taken care of, I'll go collect our payment. You all wait here until I come back."

"Sure thing, Titania."

"And Boyd," She hardened her green eyes down at the fighter, making him straighten, wincing. "… We'll talk later."

With that, she urged her horse away, trotting off into the distance. Once she left completely, Boyd groaned, throwing his hands over his head in despair. "Oh man! She said 'we'll talk later'! With that single glare! Titania's so chewing me out when we get back…!"

"Boyd. You blew that hole in the Magistrate's hut with your own axe. Of course there's going to be collateral." The horseman sighed tiredly, as if he was used to this.

Ike added deadpanned, "I'm pretty sure that fight knocked over some barrels of grain, too. And slaughtered several chickens that strayed into the road. And-"

"Arrrrgh! I get it, I get it already you jerks!" He loudly interrupted, huffing. "But still! If I didn't do that, then who knows what would've happened to-! To, uh…" The boy's ranting abruptly stopped as he turned to Reina awkwardly. "Who are you again?"

She flinched reflexively, not expecting to be addressed. In her panic, Reina mindlessly blurted out, "U-um! I-I-I'm Reina S-Scarlett! Thank you for helping me! And um, for the w-water!"

She bowed gratefully in earnest.

"Hey, it's no big deal. I mean, the entire thing  _was_  kinda by accident, but you know... All in a day's work." The fighter waved dismissively with a confident grin. It seemed he already forgot about his earlier spat with his teammates. "Anyway, I'm Boyd, proud member of the Greil Mercenaries. Nice to meet'cha."

"I'm Oscar." The horseman introduced with a friendly smile. He gestured beside him with faint amusement, "And you and Ike have already been… 'acquainted,' by now."

Boyd snickered, making Ike shoot him a pointed stare. Reina turned bright red as the memory of what happened came flooding back.

"I-I-I'm really sorry about that." She winced apologetically before asking curiously. "But… w-what did you mean by 'accident'? Was that… not supposed to happen?"

At that, the fighter suddenly turned awkward. "Eh? Well, I mean… stuff like this happens, you know? Like, the way you let go of a hand axe but it just happens to find its way into a hut wall – er, anyways point is, don't sweat the small stuff, kid. Forget about it, it's nothing. Ahaha, ha…"

"H-huh?"

'I didn't get that at all!'

Ike rolled his eyes before reaching into his pocket to hold out what appeared to be a white book. "That aside, you forgot this earlier when you ran outside. You're a mage, right? It looked like it was with you at some point, so I assumed the tome belonged to you."

At this, Reina couldn't contain her surprise. "What? Me?"

When he nodded, she gazed down at the object in wonder, taking it to run a finger down its spine. Engraved with gold lettering, the title was made up of foreign characters she couldn't recognize. It was true the cover's texture stirred something at the back of her mind, but…

She flipped through the book carefully, albeit with confusion. The inside of the book was filled with that same strange scripture, but even stranger pictures would occasionally cover an entire page. The inked illustrations all portrayed what appeared to be a ball of flame. What is all this? And what could have possessed her to pick it up in the first place?

She tilted her head to view it at different angles, as if it would help her understand the strange language.

But if anything, the strange book only seemed to confirm Ike's words from earlier. If she wasn't in America, then… where  _was_ she? And what did he mean by mage? He couldn't possibly mean the same as a witch or wizard, could he? Then did he also mean to say that magic exists? He said it so casually, as if to say it is true…

She shook her head furiously. 'No, no, that couldn't be right! Even I'm not that dumb!'

And yet... with everything that has happened until now…

Reina bit her lip, the stench of blood haunting her conflicted thoughts. 'These people… k-killed those men, right? But… they don't seem bad, either… at least, Ike tried to help me when I was passed out. And Oscar offered me water. Would psychopaths do that? Should I tell them…?'

She shut her eyes. What could she believe? What should she do?

For one thing, how could she hope to explain when  _she_  didn't know what was going on herself? One minute she was falling, and the next she was someplace she didn't know, surrounded by strangers. Why was she brought here in the first place?

Wait a minute.

Reina froze; how  _was_  she going to get home? She had no money, no cellphone, no way of contacting her mother, let alone knowing where she was…

Oh, this was bad. Very bad.

As the reality sank in, more problems naturally compounded themselves on top the other, driving her into a deep-seated panic and despair. 'What do I do… What do I do…?!'

Frightened tears blurred her eyes as no answers came to her. She hugged the book to her chest in growing anxiety, not seeing Ike take in her frightened reactions. He had slowly opened his mouth to say something when the sound of thundering hooves approached them.

"Thanks for waiting, you three." The woman returned with a pouch of gold in hand.

"Hey, Titania. That was quick." Boyd noted with surprise.

The redhead replied matter-of-factly with a straight face, "Well, it helped that there were less coins to count, Boyd."

The others fought back snickers as his ears burned red. The fighter kicked at the dirt, grumbling to himself.

But by now, Reina couldn't hold back her sorrowful hiccups, driven to beginnings of hysterics as tears ran down her cheeks. The Magistrate behind Titania addressed her crying with concern, "Is your companion alright? She seems to be quite distressed."

"'Companion?'" She echoed, asking him with surprise, "Do you mean she is not from this village?"

"Gracious, no." The old man shook his head. "I have never seen her here before. Let alone anyone that wears clothing such as her's."

"Truly? Oh, no… Where are your parents?" The paladin asked, brows furrowed with a new concern.

Reina sniffled, shaking her head.

Ike then spoke up, "Actually, this is good timing. I was thinking, what if Reina came with us?"

"Ike?!" Boyd squawked at him in shock. The others couldn't contain their surprise either, as Reina's own tears abruptly stopped, wide-eyed.

Curiosity filled the woman's voice. "Oh? And why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"Well, having another mage around would be helpful. Plus," He rubbed the back of his neck, "It wouldn't feel right, leaving her here lost and confused like this. If Reina's okay with it, that is."

Boyd replied frowning, "Hey, are you serious, Ike? The kid couldn't even handle looking at a body without throwing up. She's a total rookie!"

Ike decided not to bother bringing up the fighter's own accidents earlier that day. "Then she could stay at the fort and help with the chores like Mist and Rolf does. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

He replied reluctantly. "Well…"

"If it's just the chores…" Oscar contemplated thoughtfully.

Reina's eyes widened again, only this time in ecstatic disbelief. Was this really happening? The girl could hardly believe anyone could be so nice to a complete stranger.

Before the girl knew what she was doing, she blurted out enthusiastically, "Y-yes! I'd really be-! Thank you so much! I-I-I mean, I don't have any money, but I'll try to pay you back however I can!"

She quickly bowed her head in gratitude.

The paladin's eyes softened slightly. "… I see. Very well, I'll run it over with the Commander, but we'll have to discuss the details later. But until then, I don't see any problems." The woman declared with a small smile, "Now that our business is done here, let's head back home. I'll explain general responsibilities of the company to you along the way, so if you have any questions, let me know. What is your name?"

"R-Reina Scarlett, Ma'am. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well. Call me Titania. As Ike mentioned before, there's a girl and boy waiting at our home base that are the same age as you. I think you will all get along well…"

Saying their goodbyes to the village, the group left on the road, chatting amongst themselves. But Reina remained nervously stiff the entire way there, even as the mercenary fort finally came into view. Would they like her? Would her new job be incredibly difficult? All sorts of uncertainties ran through her head as they walked, but for now, Reina was just glad to secure a roof for herself.

But somewhere inside, a small nagging part of her told her she was forgetting something. Something important…

Reina shook her head. One thing at a time. It could wait until later… right?

Digging through her pockets hoping for  _some_  form of currency to start with, she came up only with a button, lint and some chocolate coins from lunch. So close, and yet so far.

She sighed heavily, gloomily unwrapping one for her to snack on. Comforting herself with the chocolate's creamy sweetness, she tucked the worry at the back of her mind, determined to enjoy her newfound ease the best she can.

But little did she know, that offhanded remark would come back to bite not only her, but others around her, with a vengeance she'd never forget.


	3. Friends Among Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What? Y-you know, it's chocolate! A chocolate coin, really. … Neither of you have seen one before?"

_A rubber ball bounced off the floor to fly at Reina's head._

_She fell back on her bottom with a scared yelp, trying to dodge. Flying over her head, the ball bounced once, twice, before coming to a stop past the gym's red line. The P.E teacher blew into his whistle to raise a hand, "That's enough! With the remaining players at 8-0, the win goes to the Red team! Good effort Blue, but not quite enough! Alright, off you all go now for Lunch! Exit in single file please, no pushing!"_

_The children on the opposing team cheered, giving each other high fives as Reina's own team members groaned in disappointment. They left their spots on the bench to join them, but the more prideful ones passed by her with spiteful eyes._

_Reina suppressed a flinch as she clenched the edges of her gym shorts, shaking. "I-I'm sorry… I tried, I-I really did…!"_

_She overheard a classmate mutter under his breath, "Yeah. Tried so hard you were running around like a headless chicken. How hard is it to catch a ball?!"_

_His friend agreed, "Seriously, of all the people left standing, why did it have to be her? Talk about dumb luck. And I mean dumb. This is why I told you we should've gone second picking team members, Damien. We could've gotten Kaitlyn instead."_

_"S-shaddup! Everyone picks Scarlett last anyway, so what's the point? She would've been on our team no matter what we did!"_

_Reina bit her bottom lip, shrinking away in tears. Keeping her head bowed, she listened to their complaints gradually fade, until she was left with silence. Once sure she was alone, she slowly dragged herself behind the bleachers to sink down, tucking her head between her knees; it was there in the shadows of the large metal frame that Reina finally allowed herself to cry, feeling completely and utterly alone._

* * *

A bell tinkled gently from the kitchen door as three sets of feet pattered on inside.

"Good morning, everybody!" Mist cheerfully greeted the mercenaries. Rolf and Reina followed behind her to head towards the kitchen counter.

"'ey, Mist. Morning." Boyd waved back, his mouth full. His meal of eggs and toast sat half-finished with a glass of milk.

Ike asked, "Did you get the chores done?"

"Yep! All hung and washed on the line!" The girl accepted her own meal from Rolf, before sitting beside him at the table.

"That's good to hear. The pile was really starting to build up with the added training."

'Tell me about it.' Reina privately thought while yawning, rubbing her eyes. She knew she was supposed to wake up early to do the cleaning, but daybreak was not the quite what the girl had in mind.

'Ugh… I know I said I'd help clean up, but can't the underwear wait to be hung and dried 'til after sunrise?' She couldn't help thinking grumpily, spearing her eggs with a fork.

She was nearly finished eating when someone tapped her shoulder gently, prompting her to look up. An unfamiliar robed, orange haired man asked politely from beside her, "Excuse me, can you pass the pepper?"

"O-oh! Um, sure." She stuttered. Leaning over the table, she took the small bottle before passing it into his open hand. "H-here you go."

He smiled, sprinkling it lightly over his eggs. "Thank you, Reina."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Eh? H-how do you know my name?"

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Rhys; I actually overheard your name this morning earlier from Ike. Well, to be more precise, I heard him yelling it as well as your own voice. Something about water and chores…?" His contemplative words nearly made Reina choke on her food, her face turning red.

"T-that's, uh…! Um…"

"Huh? What's going on?" Mist asked, puzzled at her panicked response.

Rolf laughed as he explained, "Thing is, I was trying to wake her up earlier to help with the laundry, but it was like getting a log to move. Ike was passing by at the time and tried helping me out, but without much luck. So, he got a bucket of water and did it the old fashioned way, and well… you know the rest."

The brunette groaned, burying her mortified face into her arms as Boyd laughed.

Ike scolded lightly, "If you wake up earlier from now on, I won't have to do that. I did tell you last night you were to start rising at early hours."

"Yeah, right. Like you're one to talk, Ike." The fighter snorted, rolling his eyes. "Last I checked, I wasn't the one late for a job yesterday."

"And last I checked, I wasn't the one to wreck the job, earning himself lavatory duty for the next few days." He immediately deadpanned, cutting off his laughter.

"What did you say?!" It was practically comical how loudly he squawked, slamming his hand onto the table. Reina jumped as silverware clattered at his sudden movement. "Come on, it was one time! Let it go already, will ya?!"

"I'll let it go when you keep a better hold of your hand axe. Or think of better comebacks."

"Say what?! You little…"

'Ack! Are they seriously going to fight?!'

"U-um! Excuse me…!" Reina awkwardly raised a hand to stop them, but her efforts were quickly drowned out by their bickering. In a matter of moments, the once peaceful table had turned into a noisy battlefield.

Mist just shook her head, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Forget about it. Once those two start, it'll be ages before it's over. Let's just get out of here while we still can."

Rolf couldn't help agreeing pragmatically. "Right? If we're all done eating, let's head to the flower field. Now that chores are done, I feel like making some daisy chains today."

"Yeah, let's all go!" The brunette eagerly turned to Oscar, who had by now covered Boyd's screaming mouth. "That's okay, right?"

"Sure. Just be careful and head back home before lunch." He replied with a smile.

"Huh? 'All?' W-wait, does that include me too?!" Reina stammered, pointing to herself wide-eyed.

Mist giggled, "Of course, you silly goose! Do you see any other kid here? Well, besides our brothers I mean."

"HEY!" They stopped only to round on her, shouting in unison. Well, in Boyd's case, muffle out against Oscar's hand.

She ignored them to add, "There's a big meadow near here that Rolf and I go to all the time. It's filled with daisies and daffodils where we make flower crowns."

"There's a pond, too. It's too cold to swim in now, but the water there's clean and nice." The boy smiled, "Want to come along?"

"Um, are you sure? I-I mean, I don't… c-can I really go? I won't be a bother?" She couldn't help stammering as she asked, as if unable to believe it. Which, in a way, was true. Reina couldn't so much as remember the last time she had been asked out to play like this…

"Hey, we're the ones asking you, remember? What do you say?" Mist asked.

"W-well… if you w-want me to…" She tried replying modestly, but the excited tinge of red on her cheeks gave away the otherwise.

"Great! Then if we're all done eating, let's go!"

"W-whoa, yikes!"

Reina felt herself stumble on the way out as the other two practically pulled her along eagerly by the arms.

Rhys sent them off with a friendly wave and smile. "Have fun!"

Upon hearing the front door close, he smiled, setting down his mug. "It does a heart good to see them getting along."

"Hah! Perhaps a little too well. Mist and Rolf haven't met someone their own age in some time. Perhaps I should've told Reina that my condolences go out to her." Oscar remarked, amused.

"Mmm! Mm-mmph! Mmmmph!"

Boyd was now flailing against the horseman's hand, his face turning blue. He hastily let go of his brother and apologized sheepishly.

"Oops, sorry Boyd. You okay?"

"I'd be even better if I didn't almost suffocate to death." He replied bluntly, shooting Oscar a look. Ike stared nonchalantly out the window.

"With all the hot air you blow, I doubt that would've done much anyway."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Boyd whirled on Ike shouting, starting the argument all over again.

The priest sighed, putting a hand to his weary face. "Oh dear…"

* * *

"L-like this?"

"No, no! You take the stem and tie it into a gentle knot, like this!" Rolf demonstrated again, looping a stem into another to form a pretzel knot, enclosing it around the other one.

Reina's fingers clumsily attempted to mimic his actions, only to have the flimsy knot slip apart in her hands. She sighed disappointedly as the flowers scattered across her lap once again, the pathetic crown now in tatters. "Um… I'm sorry, I-I don't think it's working. Maybe I'm not m-meant for this."

"Hey, you said you never made a crown before, right? If anything, it was a good first try!" Mist comforted, smiling. Reina couldn't help but eye the impeccable crown laying in her lap with a hint of longing. "You can try again?"

"Er… I-I think I'll just watch."

'And take a break,' She privately added, discreetly placing the disaster behind her back.

Out in the colourful meadow surrounded by wildflowers and butterflies, the tranquil landscape put Reina in a peaceful ease. The pond water gently lapped to the swimming ducks' movements, while butterflies danced among the flowers. Laying back in the grass, Reina watched Mist and Rolf exchange crowns, complimenting each other's work.

All the mercenaries so far seemed to be really nice. Well, she supposed they had to be, if they were willing to take in a complete stranger like her. Especially Mist and Rolf. When Titania introduced them to her at dinner the night before, the girl didn't know what to think.

Recalling her own less than favorable impression at the time, Reina couldn't help but grimace; she had been so awkward and nervous around them then, she could barely form a proper sentence. Luckily, they did most of the talking, but she couldn't help but feel guilty. She was worried they thought she disliked them, but it seemed there had been no need.

She just hoped she could keep it up… at least, until she could find a way home again.

_'Scarlett's picked last anyway, so what's the point? She would've been on our team no matter what we did!'_

She stiffened at the unwanted memory, before shaking her head.

It's not like that time. Sure, it requires teamwork, but even she can't mess up something like chores. As long as they're only cleaning and sweeping, surely they can't get too angry at-

"There they are! Surround'em quick!"

An approaching, demanding growl jarred Reina from her thoughts.

She quickly sat up to witness an intimidating group of men emerge from the distant trees, lumbering heavily into the meadow. Before the children could do anything, the men enclosed themselves around them, leering menacingly with axes at the helm. She shakily got to her feet, backing into Mist and Rolf as the largest of the men approached them with a sneer.

"… So these are the ones?"

"Aye. Ain't no doubt about it, Boss." A rat-faced man snickered.

The man narrowed his eyes on the three of them, who huddled together with terrified faces. "… Oy. Katarchee. Yah claimed there were two of the brats, didn'cha? Well, you missed an extra head, you idiot!" He ended with an angry roar, getting the man to flinch.

"E-eep! Sorry, Boss! Recon told me there were just two of them yesterday, honest."

The man angrily clicked his tongue. "Tch, fine then. One more won't change anything."

Mist was the one brave enough to speak. "W-who are you people? What do you want with us?"

"You? Hah! It's not you we want. What we want is Red and her pups. And you'll do nicely for our plans. Don't go blaming us, pups; we're just extractin' a lil' retribution! Gwahaha."

"R-run! Let's get out of here!" Mist shouted, breaking away into a sprint. Rolf and Reina followed quickly after her when the bandit chief cackled.

"Not so fast, you brats. 'Ey, Knorr! You know what to do!"

Before Reina could ask, she felt something blunt strike the back of her head hard, the last thing she saw being Mist and Rolf collapsing as everything swept away into darkness.

…

…  


"…ke… up! Wake up! Reina!"

She groaned painfully on the floor, slowly coming to. Upon opening her eyes, the first thing she saw were a pair of wide, worried azure hues. Seeing her regain consciousness, the worry in the girl's eyes melted into relief. "You're awake! Thank goodness!"

"Mist…?" She sat up wincing as the back of her head throbbed. She cradled the sore spot carefully, waiting for her blurry vision to come back into focus. In place of the meadow they were just at, the children found themselves surrounded by walls made of rotting wood. Cramped in the small space, they sat huddled close together. Judging by the size of their makeshift cell, Reina assumed them to be in a shack of some sorts.

She mumbled dazedly, looking around. "Where… are we?"

"I-I don't know…" Rolf trembled, knees bunched at his chest against the wooden wall. "But wherever we are, we can't get out!"

Reina slowly stood to approach the door and pushed her weight against it experimentally. It didn't budge, shut tight like the boy had said.

What's going on?

"You don't remember? Those guys came from the woods and knocked us out! They captured us!" The boy cried out, making her realize she spoke aloud. "I… I'm scared… Oscar… Boyd!" He hiccupped, bursting into tears. "Waaaaaah!"

"Hey, Rolf don't cry! It's going to be okay."

But Mist's attempts at placating the boy went unheard as he continued to cry and sob.

Reina's own fingers were trembling in her growing fear, insides turning cold with dread. How could this have happened? They were just playing around in the meadow… they weren't even there for an hour! So how could this be happening? Why?

She slumped dazedly against the wall, trying hard not to listen to Rolf's sniffles and sobs.

Mist glanced between the two of them with worry, before slapping on her best smile. "Come on, cheer up, you guys! My brother will come and save us! For sure! Rolf's brothers, too!"

"How do you know?" Reina mumbled, eyeing her hopelessly. "Has this happened before?"

"Well… no." She admitted, "But, I have faith in them. They'll come."

'Would they? If they didn't…' Reina didn't even want to consider the notion of the alternative. The thought of it made her want to break down, growing numb with terror.

With Mist's encouraging words calling on deaf ears, a heavy silence fell upon the hut, save for Rolf's quiet cries. In fact, the sounds only served to compound on the pressure and terror all three of them felt. Reina desperately tried to ignore it, but it added to her own uncertainty until she could no longer stand it.

With her own hot tears threatening to escape her, Reina curled up and tugged her jacket closer as if to hide herself within. But as she did, her fingers brushed her pockets to feel something round and somewhat soft. Surprised, she instinctively dove into her pockets and pulled out the objects.

The chocolate coins. She had completely forgotten about them.

Slightly bent out of shape from having melted in her pocket, four of them remained. By force of habit, she found her fingers unwrapping one to pop into her mouth when she took in Rolf's scared behaviour, and Mist's own thinly veiled uncertainty.

She glanced between them, before staring back down at the coins, an idea coming to her.

She carefully approached to touch Rolf's shoulder, getting him to glance half-heartedly at her.

"Um… h-here." Reina offered one to him.

But to her surprise, he only seemed to look down at it with a mix of frustration and confusion.

"G-gold? Thanks, I guess, but… what's that supposed to do? Gold can't help us when we're stuck here!"

"Huh? But it's not gold…?" Reina replied, genuinely confused. Did he really not know what it was?

"What do you mean? Reina, it's golden, metallic and round. How could it not be-?"

"It isn't! L-look, I'll show you!" To prove she wasn't lying, she unwrapped one to reveal the chocolate within and bit into it. As she chewed, Rolf and Mist's eyes grew wide at the dark sweet in her hand.

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

"Um. I unwrapped it. And ate it." She replied blankly, feeling dumb in not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, ha ha. We know that, but… how?" Mist reiterated, pointing awestruck at the sweet in her hand. "What is that?"

"What? Y-you know, it's chocolate! A chocolate coin, really. … Neither of you have seen one before?" Reina alternated glances between them, shocked.

"No, never. 'Cho-koh-let?' What's that?" With every question they asked, the fear slowly left their eyes.

"A sweet. Have some. I-i-if you want!" She quickly added, seeing their curiosity.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh. Here." She shyly handed them a couple of coins, watching them examine it in awe. After turning it over repeatedly in their hands, they found the edges of the wrapping, slowly revealing the chocolate before taking a small bite. Their faces turned surprised before breaking out into wide smiles.

"Oh, wow! This is yummy!" Rolf chirped happily, Mist agreeing alongside him.

"Yeah! It's so creamy and sweet! I've never had anything like this before!"

"I-I'm glad you like them." Reina smiled, relieved. "I… like having chocolate when I'm feeling s-scared, or s-sad."

She again thanked her lucky stars for living so close to the Dollar Store.

"I can see why. They're so sweet and nice. I feel better already just eating it." The brunette said, visibly brighter.

"Me, too! I could have these everyday!" Rolf exclaimed happily, before he quickly amended, "Well, okay maybe not everyday… I might not be able to have anything else ever again."

"Uh… I think you might be exaggerating a little…" Reina mumbled sheepishly.

But as happy as she was that her plan succeeded, their odd reactions to the chocolate made one thing painfully clear; this really wasn't the era she grew up in, after all. In fact, it looked to be a completely different planet from Earth altogether. But if that was the case, then where in the world was she? And why was she here?

The door then suddenly burst open, making the children erupt into screams.

The burly man gruffed out at the entrance, holding up a familiar white book.

"Which one o'you brats does this belong to."

The children didn't need to look at the axe in his hand to know it wasn't a question. Not trusting herself to speak, Reina shakily raised a hand like she would in class.

"Get over here!" Without warning, he grabbed her wrist with a large and meaty hand, tugging her towards the door. "You're getting put to work."

'Put to work?! Work for what?!'

Reina paled, struggling in his hold. "A-aah! S-s-stop! Let me go-!"

"Reina!"

Mist and Rolf leapt up in alarm, only to freeze when the man brandished his axe towards them menacingly. "Keep your traps shut and move. Unless you all feel like dyin' here and now. C'mon, move it!"

Confused, angry, and above all, frightened, the children were left with no choice but to do as the man said. Forcing them out the shack, they quickly found themselves face to face with the very mercenaries that came to save them.

"Mist!" Ike shouted upon laying eyes on her.

"Brother! I knew you'd come!" She replied brightly.

Rolf then spotted his brothers in the crowd that assembled, crying out, "Oscar! Help me! Boyd!"

"Rolf, we're here too! It's going to be okay!"

"Reina too, you're alright! Thank goodness!" Rhys smiled at her.

"Everyone…!" The small boy hiccupped, sniffling again. "Waaaaahhh!"

Reina however, almost couldn't believe what she was seeing, her legs threatening to give way in relief. They really came… just like Mist had said. Her relief was short-lived however, as the bandit placed his axe at Mist's jugular.

"Drop your weapons! If you want these three alive, throw your weapons down. If you don't, I'll start with the girl..."

She shrieked, struggling to escape. "Eek! NO!"

"STOP! Let her go! Or I'll kill you myself!" Ike stepped forward menacingly, pointing at him with his blade.

"Shut up! Shut UP! Shut your stinkin' trap!" He pressed the axe closer to her neck, creating a small cut and a drop of blood. She whimpered in both fear and pain. "You've crossed the line with our brothers in Caldea… and you all will pay! Unless... it will be the brats payin'. Right here and now!"

She shrieked, "NOOOO!"

"Wait!"

The man stopped just at Mist's jugular, meeting Titania's alarmed verdant eyes. "Yeah?"

The woman slowly bent down to place her axes onto the grass and backed away. "I'm putting down my weapons. See?"

The man broke out into a dark sneer. "Heh... heh heh. Smart move, wench!"

Emerald eyes narrowed, burning in resentment as well as resolve. When Oscar protested, he was immediately silenced by Titania's expression.

"We're here to save them. Now all of you, back off."

"Okay..."

"This stinks!" Boyd raged, throwing down his axe.

The children watched in horror as the mercenaries were all forced to leave their weapons at their feet, one by one. Only one person was left happy about the situation, as the perpetrator chortled at the sight. "So now, you're all unarmed. Which means..."

He suddenly shoved the white book into Reina's chest, switching the axe's position to be placed at her neck. Reina's breath hitched in shock. "Now… finish'em! Roast'em, cut'em, into itty, tiny bits!" The man heatedly snarled. "Or I'll kill yah, here and now!"

"Don't you dare!" Ike roared, ultramarine flashing dangerously. His gaze darted from Reina to the man behind her. "You bastard, this isn't what you promised!"

"Gahahaha! They're not dead yet, are they?" He cackled darkly. "But keep howling, and I'll kill'em all myself! Starting with the mage whelp right here!"

'M-m-mage? He couldn't be talking about me, could he?!'

"Reina, don't do it!" Ike shouted at her, mistaking her wide eyes only for fear. "We'll get you all out of here, so don't do anything sudden-!"

"Do it, kid! Now!"

"Reina, we're here to save you! Hold on, and trust us!"

"Uh… unnng-!" Reina's eyes darted back and forth between the bandit and the other mercenaries, panic threatening to overtake her entirely. What were they talking about? What on earth was she supposed to do?!

She went blank in terror as she thoughtlessly blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I-I can't! I can't do it!"

"What?!" His eye twitched in growing fury, "You bitch-!"

"No, I really can't! I can't do what you're asking me to! L-let me go! Please!" She screamed, tears finally running down her face. "I… I can't do whatever it is you're asking me! So, please l-let me go!"

The man's face turned puce as he snarled in anger, spittle flying. "Fine then… As soon as you DIE!"

She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the sharp, hot burst of pain, but it never came. Warily opening her eyes, she looked up to meet the monster's eyes, only to see them glazed and rolled back into his head. He dropped to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his temple.

Reina immediately felt whatever strength left in her legs give way, leaving her to crumple alongside him.

She dimly heard several pairs of feet rush towards her at once, with Mist and Rolf calling out her name with worry and concern. She laid there for a few solid seconds before it finally registered with her.

She weakly turned her head to face her new friends, who were surprised when she suddenly let out a shakily laugh.

She was alive. They were alive. They were alive.

Everything was going to be fine.

Over and over she repeated the words to herself, as if to confirm they were real, even as she felt herself begin drifting away. But before the darkness overtook her completely, she managed to mumble to them one last thing. "Hey… Rolf? Mist? You think… w-we can… draw flowers tomorrow… instead?"

The last thing she saw were them looking at each other's surprised faces, before they broke into disbelieving laughs.

She gave a weak chuckle of her own before everything went black.


	4. A Crooked Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look, it's a bird! A plane! No, it's a...
> 
> "Biiiiig 'catch'! Ahahahahaa!"

"Hm… hmmm…"

Underneath the shop's rooftop, a robed man stops along its busy streets, and among the busier people. A porcelain face widely grins from beneath the dark hood, belying the careful way pages are turned with delicate fingers.

The shopkeeper watches from the counter with anticipation, waiting to see if his goods will find a new home. For long moments, all that pass by them are the sounds of playful children and haggling merchants, until the man closes the book. "… My good man, I do believe we have a deal~ Four hundred, correct?"

"Aye Sir, that it is. Thank you for your patronage." The merchant smiles, visibly relaxing as the man reaches into his bag. But before he could take out his wallet, a couple of playful boys shove past him, jarring his elbow and knocking the book onto the damp cobblestones.

The shopkeeper's face turned pale as he angrily sputtered after their retreating backs, "Y-you no good brats! Get back here and apologize to not only this gentleman, but my busin-!"

"Ahaha, no worries, no worries~" The customer waved off freely with a laugh. He bends down to dust off the black cover before flipping through the pages. "Still looks plenty readable to me. And even if, it's nothing a good curse can't fix, hahaha!"

"Aha, t-truly..." As if not knowing how else to respond, the shopkeeper could only stammer out a grateful and nervous laugh.

"H-help! Somebody help, please!"

A man's desperate cry ground their conversation to a halt, coming from the end of the docks. A balding, middle-aged merchant was motioning frantically at its edge, attracting perturbed onlookers. "It's my son! He's fallen over and can't swim! Someone hurry and save him!"

The loud and erratic splashing below was overshadowed only by his hysterical wife's screams, "Please! As a mother; HIS mother, I beg of you! Someone save my boy!"

Unsettled murmurs rippled through the crowd as strangers turned to one another, not knowing what to do.

"Hang on, isn't that the boy just who ran through here?" The shopkeeper asked with disbelief. "For him to have fallen in… it's a shame and a tragedy, but there is no saving him now. That dock doesn't so much as have a ladder." He shook his head with pity, "His parents shouldn't have been allowing him to run around in such a crowded area in the first place… He's best off in the Goddess' hands now."

At the indifferent statement, the man's blank expression slowly twisted to form a strange smile. "… Goddess, you say?"

With a flick of his wrist, the man opened his new book and held out a hand, cupping something unseen while muttering an ominous chant. In response to his voice, the waters immediately rippled once. Twice. Three, four times, until it grew into a violent pulsing of waves, shaking the ground while threatening to capsize all ships at port.

Frightened spectators ran off screaming in various directions as peacekeepers rushed in to quell the scene, only to be pushed back by the frightened crowds.

The man grinned delightedly at the sight with a touch of madness, before sweeping his hand into a final, giant arc. The water abruptly stopped, only to shoot into the air in form of a gigantic geyser, coming down to drench the market in a torrential downpour. Even more shrieks burst forth, swallowing the once drowning boy's own screams as he came falling back down into his dumbfounded father's arms.

The shopkeeper stood gaping as chaos overran the streets, until the sound of clinking coins knocked him out of his stupor. He whirled on the perpetrator once more, this time with a whole new terror, as the man – no, demon – now playfully inspected his tome with an impish grin.

"Hmm, yup! Works just great to me! Thanks again for the biiiiig 'catch'! Ahahahahaa!"

As he cackled gleefully at his own joke, the merchant let out a terrified sound, backing away. But before he could scream, a furious bellow rattled the port's waters and into his very bones.

"OY, YE SEASCUM! WHICH ONE O'YE NO-GOOD DOGS HAVE GONE AND RUINED ME SHIP?!"

A furious roar rattled the air.

Amidst the piles of floating driftwood, a single half-sunken ship remained in the waves with its large mast protruding from the water. A large and burly eye-patched man glared down menacingly at the villagers from the ship's starboard, as if to determine the culprit. Bearing a menacing flag of a skull and crossbones, several other like-minded men lumbered onto the port with large axes in hand.

The perpetrator felt the shopkeeper point at him wildly in response, shrieking about having served a monster.

Even as the pirates' wild and angry eyes turned against him, the man's laugh never wavered. "Haha, I knew today was going to be a good day~!"

* * *

_Her throat burned and her legs ached._

_But no matter how far she ran, the darkness refused to let her escape._

_Tears blurred her vision against her choked, frightened gasps. 'They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me, they're going to kill me, they're going to kill me-!'_

_Cold fingers suddenly locked themselves around Reina's ankle, dragging her down with a scream. Propping herself up on shaky elbows, she turned around, only to freeze. A bandit stared emptily up at her, a gurgle passing his bloody lips as he weakly tugged her ankle closer. The girl shrieked, kicking his hand away before scrambling backwards into someone's leg. Craning her neck back fearfully in dread, she met another bandit's gaunt face, this time with an arrow impaled between his brows._

_Reina recoiled, hands flying over her head and shrieking. 'N-no! Go away! L-leave me alone!'_

_She laid there on the ground sobbing, until there was a white flash and burst of heat. Lifting her tearstained cheeks, she watched thunderstruck as the bandits shrieked and contorted terribly in a perverted dance, their forms disappearing within the flames. Staggering to her feet, she mouthed inexplicably at where they stood moments earlier._

_White flames?_

_A hushed voice whispered suddenly._

_'O… ust… re… …ou… ames…'_

_Her emerald gaze flew to the right as rows upon rows of black armored soldiers emerged from the darkness, marching on either side of her in eerily tidy waves. The dark silhouette of a man towered over them all from the back of what appeared to be a large dragon, balls of fire lighting their way. She instinctively stepped back, only to scream as a soldier marched through her, 'W-what's happening?! Who are you?!'_

_'…urn… yo… ance…' The voice was barely a whisper. 'Figni-'_

_The black dragon lunged-_

* * *

Reina flew awake with a hoarse scream.

Ragged pants escaped her as she sat on top the mattress, verdant eyes wide and tearing. Her heart continued to fearfully pound against the chirping of songbirds outside, creating a contrast she couldn't shake away. The tossed bedsheets laid scattered across the bedroom floor.

'A dream. It was just a dream…' Although she repeated it to herself in form of a mantra, her arms were already wrapped around herself, shivering.

She could still envision the dragon's roar, the smell of blood, the corpses' empty stares; they all seemed to be coaxing her to join their twisted and bloody world…

She shut her eyes tight and buried her face into her pillow, forcing herself to calm down.

After remaining that way for some time, she reluctantly forced herself to climb out of bed, throwing back on the bedsheets. She made her way towards the open window, leaning her head out to take in the fresh air and gentle breeze. Shielding her eyes against the bright sunlight, she allowed a small smile.

It was a beautiful day, without a single cloud in sight. Perfect for a playdate. But when her eyes left the open sky to land on the white book sitting on top the dresser, she quickly felt that smile fade.

Ah… right. Of course the others would have given the book back. Even if she herself didn't know what that thing was in the first place. But so far, it was proving to be more trouble than it was worth.

The memory of the kidnapping resurfaced unbidden, the bandit's deranged growls ringing loud and clear in her ears.

_'Roast'em, cut'em, into itty, tiny bits! Or I'll kill yah here and now! Starting with the mage whelp right here!'_

Her face fell, gripping at her chest. What could he have meant by that? It wasn't like she had anything like a knife or lighter on her… And even then, there was no way she could've done anything like what he wanted, anyway. (N-not that she would ever consider doing such a thing in the first place!)

But the way he said it so confidently… and the fact he called her a 'mage…'

Was that what mages were expected to do? Was that why he had given her back the book?

Though the disturbing thought made her stomach churn, Reina stared at the enigmatic white cover with a new intensity.

Before she knew it, her hand was mindlessly reaching out for it, intent on picking it up to read; only to stop just short of touching the cover. Surprise filled her face. It was faint, but warm air was definitely brushing against the tips of her fingers.

'… Huh?' The odd sensation made her eyes narrow in bewilderment. 'It's… warm?'

She hesitated, debating for a moment before carefully reaching closer-

"Heeeey, Reina! You awake?"

She jerked, breath hitching at Rolf's loud voice before instinctively glancing out the window. The boy waved from the courtyard with Mist beside him and a couple empty baskets in hand. "We're going shopping, do you wanna come?"

"Uh- y-yeah, I do!" She shook off her initial surprise while calling back, glancing at the book from the corner of her eye. As she did, she was now very aware of her empty stomach, "But, um, did everyone get to e-eat already? I didn't get to have b-breakfast yet…"

"Oh yeah, we did! But don't worry, we need to get some groceries, anyway, so we'll just grab lunch after!" Mist called back smiling, "We'll be waiting at the entrance, 'kay?"

"O-okay! Thank you!"

Reina shook off her initial disappointment and left the window to reach for her jacket hanging from the chair. Fitting her arms through the red sleeves, she then slipped her sneakers on her feet, glancing back from the doorway one last time before shutting it behind her. The warmth still lingered on her fingers.

'It's… probably nothing. I'll check it later.'

She feebly convinced herself before hurrying outside, eager to meet the ones waiting for her.

* * *

"This is terrible…"

The frank, but pitiful words left Titania's lips upon arriving at the chaotic scene.

The once peaceful market had been turned into a hunting ground for the pirates, as they filled their burlap sacks with as much food and gold as they could carry. Many of the shop stalls had been damaged, some outright destroyed as the local peacekeepers had fought and failed to keep the place under order. Bodies already lay scattered in the streets.

The woman unhooked her steel axe from her saddle, "Don't let your guard down, everyone. And remember to warn any locals to close their doors."

"Got it." Ike nodded before tightening his grip on his blade. After the trouble he caused everyone the other day, he was determined to make up for it with twice his efforts.

"Just remember not to rush ahead and leave the rest of us behind, eh laddie? Deputy Commander, will the standard Thunder and Lightning maneuvers work here?" A blonde man cheerfully called out in his blue armor, brandishing his lance.

"Sounds good, Gatrie. You and Shinon will soften them up, while Ike and I take care of the rest." Titania affirmed, but the boy wore a quizzical frown.

"Er… 'thunder and lightning'?"

He nodded with a sunny grin, "Yup! I crash into'em like thunder, and Shinon rains arrows down on'em like lightning! Pretty fitting, don't you think?"

"Hm."

"Peh, this is going to be easier than spearing fish in a barrel." Shinon cockily smirked before shooting an unsuspecting pirate from afar. The arrow hit the side of his skull with a hollow 'thunk,' dropping him to the ground. The noise drew the other pirates' attention, the sight of their fallen comrade enraging them into a charge with their axes.

Gatrie stepped forward, letting their axes hit his armor uselessly before countering with deadly blows. As sparks flew from their clashing weapons, Titania took opportunity of the diversion to visit a home in the bottom corner of the market. Keeping her weapon close, she hid her horse behind a pile of crates before running inside.

Ike grunted against the strength of his opponent as his blade met the large axe repeatedly with terrible clangs, before he finally found an opening. After parrying the axe in a way that made the pirate stumble under his own strength, Ike kicked him in the gut, making him stagger backwards. Leaping in, he stabbed the man in the heart, making him let out a terrible scream.

Hearing the angry footsteps of another, he whirled around to block the next downward swing, albeit not perfectly. He winced in pain as he caught the parry in an awkward angle, shooting pain down his hand and wrist. Watching him struggle with a scornful huff, Shinon aimed over Gatrie's shoulder to shoot the pirate in the neck. The knight next to him in turn speared a pirate who thought to get too close the sniper.

They fought back to back with each other, with the sniper expertly aiming his shots at their vitals, and the other impeding any trying to flank his friend.

As Ike shook off the numb feeling in his arm, Titania returned to help with any leftovers, knocking aside any scoundrel trying to go for her steed. Her stallion's hind legs would occasionally kick back into an unfortunate pirate's sternum, finishing them off. Between its crushing hooves and her deadly axe, some of the smarter pirates tried fleeing, only to be taken by Ike from behind. His sword skewered and slashed their bodies, leaving them crumpled on the ground.

At they began to realize they were outmatched, some attempted to make off with the looted goods, but Shinon's arrows would find them every time. The sacks of loot fell nearby their bodies, the fletchers sticking out of their backs.

Ike wiped off some blood spatter on his cheek before glancing around the square, counting how many were left. So far, so good… With only a handful of them left on land, they should soon reach the enemy ship at the end of the docks.

"S-Shawn! Come back here this instant!"

"No! These people could help…!"

A couple of hushed voices met his ears, making Ike turn around, blade at the ready. But instead of pirates like he expected, a blonde boy was peeking out from beneath a fabric stall, fighting to free himself from his mother's grip. The woman remained in hiding underneath with a couple other villagers, her voice hushed and frantic with fear.

"Hey, excuse me. Who is it you're talking about?"

At Ike's voice, both mother and child's heads shot up to meet his curious gaze. He carefully approached to avoid startling them.

Before his mother could protest, the boy quickly explained, "T-there's a dark robed man those pirates forced onto their ship. I was playing with a friend when I fell into the water. That man saved me, but when he did, he ended up destroying all the ships. Including the pirates'!" He explained guiltily, eyes downcast. "Now they're really mad… I think they're gonna do something bad to him. Please save him, mister!"

The ranger nodded, giving him a small smile. "Got it. Don't worry, I'll be sure to explain to my friends what's going on. You go back and hide with your mom."

"Really, you mean it? Thank you! If you save him, I'll make sure to give you my most special, important treasure! It's a promise, okay?" With a wide relieved smile, he scurried back to hide beneath the stand.

"Dark robes, huh…" Gatrie mused aloud, approaching him alongside Titania. "If what the lad said was true and that guy was the one to destroy all the ships, it's gotta be the work of magic."

"I agree. But mage or no, it sounds like his hands are quite literally tied. Let's hurry." The horsewoman said, determined.

"Feh. Doubt that pipsqueak's 'treasure' will be worth much of anything. But fine. I don't mind the extra target practise." Shinon sneered, cockily twirling an arrow.

Upon making sure the area was cleared, the mercenaries raced towards the pirates' ship, hiding just outside it behind a stack of crates. A couple of guards stood outside the ship, on the lookout for intruders.

With Titania's nod towards the sniper, Shinon kicked the siege to a start by drawing back an arrow straight into one of the guards' temples. As soon as his friend fell, the other man grew enraged, throwing his hand axe to meet with Titania's in midair. As both weapons fell to the ground, Shinon took another shot, landing it in-between the eyes.

Ike took that as his cue to pass the guards' dead bodies with Gatrie and up the ramp, where they were met with several other pirates. Only, they weren't waiting for them.

With their backs turned in a circle, the pirates seemed to be struggling against something large and white, their axes swinging wildly in hand. It was reflex that saved Ike as he stepped aside to avoid the pirate's body as it flew past him and into with the water below. A fierce neigh filled his ears.

"Hands off, clambake! Eat this! HAIYAA!" A girl's angry proclamation was punctuated with a slim lance twirling above a pirate's head, before being imbedded into a torso. Realizing what was happening, Ike wasted no time in freeing her from the circle. Lunging at the nearest pirates, guttural screams of agony tore from their mouths as steel mercilessly cut into flesh.

As his comrades turned on Ike in shock, the girl took the opportunity to sweep them aside with her lance. Now that Ike got a clear view of her, he realized the woman he saved was a Pegasus Knight. Her bubblegum pink hair was damp with sweat, her bright red armor scratched and dented from battle. She sat wincing atop her Pegasus, clutching her shoulder where red had already begun to seep between her fingers.

Ike reached into his pack to offer a vulnerary, "Hey, are you alright?"

At his voice, wide cornflower blue eyes peered up to meet ultramarine hues. "Huh…? Who are you?"

"I'm Ike of the Greil Mercenaries. Leave these guys to us. You should get out of here now while you can, before there's reinforcements."

"What? Really? Are you really going to do that for me?" The girl blurted out, surprised.

He nodded, pushing the medicine into her hands. "Of course. Just go find somewhere safe until this all blows over."

"Oh hey, thanks so much! I don't know what to say!" She said, forming a tired but grateful smile. "Is there anything I can do? I need to show you my gratitude somehow!"

"Uh… That's nice and all, but-" Ike ducked to avoid a stray throwing axe; Titania countered with her own, just missing the pirate leader's jugular. "No offense, but this is hardly the time for that."

"Oh crackers. That's true, huh." Her lips pursed with disappointment before knocking a fist into her open palm in determination. "That settles it, then! When I have things taken care of on my end, I'll come find you about repaying my debt later!"

"Wait, what?" Ultramarine hues widened at the unexpected answer, leading Ike to raise a hand in protest, "Hold on, I'm serious, I really don't need-"

"Pshaw, don't worry about it! It's the least I can do. Ike of the Greil Mercenaries, huh. I'll remember that! Marcia's the name Handsome, don't forget about me!" She threw him one last wink before he could say anything, flying off in a cloud of feathers and out of sight.

Ike was left to scratch the back of his neck bewildered, until a pirate's cries of rage came from the ship's bow.

The repeated clashing of axes rattled the air as the opponents collided, their weapons not giving an inch. The man's breath was putrid against Titania's hardened face as he continued to taunt and jeer. Circling around the other, they dealt and avoided each other's strikes in a deadly dance. Ike raced towards them, blade poised to strike at the captain's back. Noticing his movements from the corner of his eye, the pirate avoided his initial strike.

Not to be deterred, Ike tried again, this time finding his mark in the man's arm. A howl of agony escaped his lips as blood splashed with the severed limb onto the deck. The man fell to his knees to cradle the stump to his chest.

Ike pointed his blade resolutely to the man's chest. "Return what you have stolen from the good folk here and set sail. Never return."

"Arrrghh… Bastard… how dare you…" He suddenly craned his neck to the distance, snarling, "DO IT NOW! KILL'IM!"

"What?!"

"Ike, look out!"

Titania's warning cry was useless as a lone pirate emerged to throw his axe from behind the giant pillar, aimed directly at Ike's head.

Taken by surprise, the boy wasn't given a chance to react as it flew towards him. But before the axe could land mercilessly into flesh, it was batted aside midair by a slender, black vine-like form, landing it in the ocean.

"W-what…?"

Ike's startled response was cut short when a terrified scream came behind the mast. Similar tangled masses of dark tendrils were binding the pirate responsible, steadily raising him a couple dozen feet into the air. He struggled frantically against his bonds with growing fear, to no avail.

"N-no… no, someone help me! P-please, somebody help! H-heeek! AAUUGHHHHHH!"

The final scream of terror was abruptly stopped by the ebony vines, as they mercilessly crushed the man into a ball of tissue and bone. The ugly crunch was followed by the gushing of blood and fluids, as they rained heavily onto the deck below.

A dark hooded man stood, grinning merrily at the crimson rain landing just inches from his feet. Ike rounded the pillar just in time to witness him shutting the black book.

Yards of discarded rope and twine were pooled at the back of his heels, letting Ike make the connection he couldn't quite believe. Nevertheless, he slowly asked, "Are you… the hostage?"

"Hm~?"

He turned towards him, Ike unable to help but tense at the dubious grin stretching his blood-stained cheeks, "Ah, am I being rescued? Hooray~ you have my gratitude. Or in this case, we should probably be having each other's gratitudes, eh? Hahaha~! Ahhh, but it's such a waste."

"A waste?"

"Yes, it is! Had I known I'd be referred to as a hostage, I would've tried a little harder to act according to my role. It certainly would've been a new experience." Despite his sophisticated words, his lips were jutted out in a sulk, reminding Ike of a disappointed child. "Not that these gentlemen were much better at being captors. For goodness sake, they don't even know how to do a basic slip-by-slip knot!"

'What on earth is this guy on about?' Shaking off his initial confusion, he added aloud, "Well… it's good you don't appear to be injured. There's a boy called Shawn back at the village that was worried about you. He asked us to help save you."

"Hmmm, Shawn, Shawn… Can't say I know anybody like that! But whoever they are, they must be a goooood boy~" He happily giggled, attitude doing a complete one-eighty. "Anyhoo, you have my thanks, brave hero! Who might you fine folks be?"

"I'm Ike of the Greil mercenaries. And you are…?"

The stranger's broad smile never faded as he shook off his hood, letting it fall back to reveal himself. Indigo hues beamed up at Ike, framed by long albino locks. Tied in a thin ponytail at the base of his neck, an additional thin side braid hung past his chin. His pale porcelain skin would've reminded the mercenary of an antique doll's, if it weren't for the tad unsettling grin.

He patted the mercenary's back repeatedly with an open palm, unabashed. "You can call me Fyran. 'Dying' to meet you, lad~"

Ike barely had time to cringe at the bad joke when Titania galloped over to join him in concern.

"Ike, are you alright?!"

He quickly turned to reply, "I'm fine. And the hostage – I mean Fyran – appears to be safe as well." The dark mage waved at the horsewoman in cheerful greeting.

"That's me, alright~ Pale and hearty like hale!" He laughed at his own joke, earning him more than a few deadpans.

"I see. Well, that's… certainly a relief." She relaxed visibly, "Shinon just took care of the pirate leader, so let's hurry back and report to the mayor before anything else happens."

They joined up with the other mercenaries and descended together down the ship's ramp. At the sight of their safe return, the town's mayor rushed over to meet them at the docks, seeming to want to have a word with Titania. But at the sight of Fyran, the man immediately bristled and turned red with anger.

Before he could open his mouth, the dark mage leaned over to whisper something in his ear. As he went on, the angry look on the old man's face gradually vanished into one of surprise before settling on calm neutrality, even nodding twice before the albino left to greet the ecstatic Shawn.

Although the mercenaries watched the exchange in wary confusion, Titania proclaimed to the man, "The pirates are no more. Your people will no longer suffer atrocities at their hands."

"Oh, thank goodness…! When they arrived so suddenly at the port like that, it was all I could do to call for help!" The man wheezed a shaken smile, "Thank you so much for saving our village! I apologize that it was such short notice!"

"It was no trouble at all. We were just glad to be nearby before it turned worse." She shook her head, modestly deflecting the elder's lavish praise.

"Nonsense! If it weren't for you all, I dare not think about what would've become of our fishing village! Such combat skills… I must admit, when I first saw you with, no offense, a band of children, I was a tad nervous. But you can be sure we'll contact the Greil Mercenaries should anything arise again."

"I apologize for troubling you." She said sincerely, "But please, pay it no mind and take the time to recuperate."

"Ah, thank you. You've nary a selfish bone among you. Now, if you'll excuse me, we have much reparations to prepare for. Until we meet again." As the man began to leave, Titania stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"Apologies Sir, but we have not received payment yet."

"Hm? Payment? Was the initial sum not to be the compensation fee?" The man blinked with confusion.

"I'm sorry, 'compensation?' I'm afraid I don't follow?" Titania asked, surprised. Ike instinctively turned to the others for any trace of guilt, but found none lining their features.

The elderly gentleman wheezed, gesturing to the albino man now carrying Shawn laughing on his shoulders, "That man… he just told me that as apology, we were free to rescind the payment as the repair fees. As you seemed to get along on the way back here, I assumed he was with you. … Is that not true?"

"WHAT?!" The mercenaries collectively blurted in shock.

Shinon was the first to recover from gaping, "You've got to be joking! Of course not! Hey you bastard, the hell is this about?!" He whirled menacingly on the man, who was in the middle of waving Shawn good-bye.

"Hmm~? Whatever do you mean?" He sunnily grinned, propping his arms behind his head.

"Don't you 'whatever do you mean' me!" Shinon snapped, pointing directly at the old man. "I'm talking about our pay! When the hell did we say YOU could use it to clean up your mess?! Let alone say you were one of us?!"

"Hmm, but I thought it was okay, wasn't it? Hasn't the boy promised you his treasure?" He asked with a convincingly musing tone. "A Goddess Icon should be more than enough to cover the initial deal, no?" He went on to hold up the small white figurine as proof. 

"That's not what the problem is, dammit!" The redhead spat, scathing with accusation, "If anything, YOU'RE the one that owes US! The hell are you trying to play at?!"

"While that is true, and I am grateful, I seemed to have another problem on my hands." His grin turned somewhat sheepish at the other mercenaries' confused looks, "See, the damages were originally supposed to be twice the amount I paid, but they agreed to cut me some slack seeing as I helped save the village boy. But those pirates ended up taking the last bit of gold I had, sooooo I'm afraid I'm broke, and out of things to sell. Save for my soul, that is. Good thing you folks came along when you did, ahahaha~!"

"WHAT?! You son of a bitch-!" Shinon grabbed the man's collar over his laughs despite Titania and Ike's attempts to hold him back.

"Shinon, calm down! While I cannot say his actions were… innocent, we'll earn our pay back with the icon soon enough."

"Yeah, we take on jobs for free half the time anyway. It's not like it's anything new."

He whirled around snapping, "You idealistic morons can shut your mouth!"

"Ahahaha, you all get along so well~" Fyran grinned unashamedly at the spectacle unfolding in front of him, "It makes me wanna get in on the fun!"

"Hell no!" He grouched, roughly freeing himself from Ike's grip and glaring at the man.

"Aww. And here I thought we had something in common~" The mercenaries then watched aghast as the stranger shamelessly threw an arm around the sniper's shoulder, pulling him in with a Cheshire grin. By now, Shinon looked ready to tear his arm off and cast it into the sea. Heck, Ike was tempted to throw it off for him if only to spare the oblivious mage a limb. "C'mon, think about it! You, me, and a great time, awaiting the two of us!"

"Insane. Batshit insane is what he is. Mad as a goddamn hatter." He snarled furiously under his breath, wrenching the shaman's arm away.

While Ike was tempted to agree, and was hardly encouraged by his sly attitude, it was true that Fyran went out of his way to save the boy. Plus, he did offer the icon the boy initially gave to him as compensation. Maybe he wasn't that bad…?

"… Why not." Ike said, surprising the mercenaries, (and infuriating a certain sniper). "He did save Shawn, as well as my own life. Plus, it's not everyday you come across a dark mage… We could use that kind of magic in the group."

"Heeeeh~ that's rather generous of you~" He giggled, a sound that was equivalent to Shinon as nails on a chalkboard. "But are you suuuureee? It could be just me, but~" He leaned in, whispering lowly with a sinister smile. "You seemed a little put off by my earlier show beforehand."

"… I can't deny it was a little off-putting." Ike admitted, honesty lining ultramarine hues. "But in the end, that was what saved my life. So, although I was uncomfortable… I appreciate what you did. And I can't really thank you if this is the last time we meet."

The smile on the man's face twitched into one of confusion for the briefest of moments before reverting; it was so fast, that Ike almost assumed it was part of his imagination. However, his sneaky grin grew even more playful, but somehow also amused. "… Heehee~ Oh, why not. It's true I don't have anything planned at the moment." He shrugged, humming like a playful child, "Who knows, this could be fun! Fun, fun~"

"No. Not a snowball's chance in Hell."

In response to Shinon's grouched words, Gatrie sighed, opting instead to place a gloved hand on his friend's shoulder, "Shinon, just let it go. I hate to say it, but once he's made up his mind, there's no chance of winning with Ikey, I'm afraid."

Titania herself took a minute to decide before she affirmed, "Very well, I'll speak with the Commander when we return. But for now, it is good to meet you, Fyran. Welcome to the group."

"Haha, much obliged~"

As they walked back out the village, Ike could feel the daggers of Shinon's glare on his back the entire way home. However, the ranger paid it little mind.

To him, it was just another small thing added to the pile of hundreds that the sniper already wanted to kill him for.

* * *

A pair of tawny boots stopped at the mercenary fort's front steps, before several bags of groceries were placed on the ground. Leaning back, Mist stretched her upper body and arms with a proud and content smile. "Ahh! Nothing like a great day with great bargains! Seriously, I can't believe we managed to get so much for so little!" Her proud grin then faltered to one of confusion as she realized she was the only one to arrive. She looked around, "Guys? Where are you?"

"Right…. Here…"

A weak groan answered her a distance behind as Reina and Rolf finally emerged from over the hill wobbling and panting, various bags of food and supplies in their hands. Mist immediately ran over, "Oh! I'm sorry! Here, let me help!"

"T-thank you…" They dropped some of their load off to her, before wobbling over to the porch and practically dropping their remaining bags with collective groans.

"Hey, you two, be gentle! Apples bruise pretty easily, you know! It wasn't easy getting that merchant to agree on the final price." Mist lightly admonished with hands on her hips, earning an eye-roll from Rolf.

"I'll say. You were arguing with the fruit merchant there for a whole fifteen minutes to settle the matter." He wryly said, opening the front door and carrying in his bags. "I wonder if we can go back for a while…"

"Oh hush, you! I was planning on making a pie for the first time in ages! It was an emergency!" Mist insisted in a light huff before chasing after him, getting Reina to weakly laugh. Even now, she could recall the crowd the other girl had unintentionally drawn in, eager to see who would win the dispute. Forget bartering, it was more like a final showdown at high-noon. Quite literally, in that case.

Until now, she didn't think Mist had that kind of fire within her. Now that she had seen that, she can't help but look at the girl with a new respect. 'This must be the mark of a true adult…' She subconsciously nodded, sure of herself. She bent down to pick up her bags when a whispering voice reverberated in her ears.

_'It's started…'_

Eh?

Alarmed, she whipped her head to face the sky. That voice is…

_'Come… this way…'_

The voice from her dream. The mansion. It was definitely the same.

Without thinking, she dashed towards the sound, her feet starting running on their own, "W-Where are you?! Come out!"

_'Over here… don't look away…'_

Hearing it come from her right, she leaned her body to make the turn, when, "Ah-!" As she ran, her left foot twisted awkwardly on the mud facing the shallow cliff. Quickly feeling herself lose balance, she wildly waved her arms, to no avail. "W-waaugh-!" She had clenched her eyes shut, bracing herself for the fall when-

"Watch out!" A gloved hand grabbed her wrist, saving her from a nasty fall down the small, but rocky cliff. She wobbled unsteadily, attempting to regain her footing with a deep breath. "Whew… that was close. Where were you going in such a hurry?"

"I-Ike?" Recognizing the voice, Reina opened her eyes to face Ike's own startled expression. The rest of the mercenaries were lined up loosely behind him, similar looks spread across their own faces. Shaking off her initial surprise, she managed to stammer out, "Um, h-have you seen a child go by here?"

"Huh? A child?"

"Yeah like, they're…" She suddenly trailed off as she realized she didn't even know what the owner of the voice looked like. The longer she stood there in silence, the more she felt stupid as Ike silently pressed her with an expectant stare, to elaborate something she didn't understand.

Her instincts fought. Fight? Or flight?

"Reina?"

She chose flight.

The girl shook her head, "S-sorry, never mind, i-it's nothing."

He arched a brow with skeptical confusion, but seemed to have accepted it; for now, at least. "… Alright then. If you say so."

Unable to do much else, she slowly closed her mouth, shameful heat rushing to her cheeks.

But luckily for her, the awkwardness was broken by Gatrie shouting into the distance, "Hey, look! The Commander's back!" At the knight's words, Reina looked down at the bottom of the path. Advancing up the hill was a towering man enclad in cerulean armor and a yellow cape, wearing blue gauntlets to match. His weathered pale blue eyes were sharp and focused, not missing a detail as he climbed the path with Oscar and Boyd behind him.

"Ah, good timing. It seems we will be having the discussion today, after all." Titania nodded with satisfaction.

'Huh? Discussion?'

It was then Reina noticed the presence of a dark-robed woman behind Titania, with stunning long white hair and dark blue eyes. Moon-white tresses were tied at the nape of her neck, stopping at the back of her waist. Her indigo cloak swished as she raised a sleeved arm to greet the man approaching her, the maiden's skin as fair as her hair.

Titania had motioned for everybody else to clear the way and enter the fort, the mercenaries already moving to obey her orders. Reina had begun to do the same, when she snuck back one last glance. She lightly blushed. The woman really was beautiful. It made her wonder what such a person would be doing in a place like this.

Seeming to feel the girl's gaze, the albino woman tilted her head to meet verdant eyes with her own. Indigo hues vanished in happy crescent moons as she smiled, waving delicately.

Reina nervously returned the gesture with what she hoped was a polite smile, but her initial thoughts of them being a woman would quickly fade. As soon as they opened their mouth to start conversation with the other man, her face immediately turned bright red, turning away.

That… was definitely not the voice of a woman.

Yikes. Good thing she hadn't said anything, or she would never have lived it down.

But she was curious about who the man could be. Both men, actually.

Catching Ike's departing back at the corner of her eye, she quickly formed a light jog to meet with him and ask. "Um, Ike? W-who are they?" She shyly motioned behind them with her head.

"Hm? Oh, the one with the white hair is Fyran." He introduced the man in the dark robes first with a nod of his head, "We just ran into him on our job at port and he's with us, now. He's a mage like you, but more into the dark arts. He is a little weird, but he doesn't seem to mean much harm." He admitted, making her more curious. He then gestured to the one in the yellow cape, "The other man over there is our leader, and my father, Commander Greil. He manages the company, while also overseeing what jobs are to be handled by us. All the big decisions go through Titania and my father, so nothing gets done until they get the final say."

"The Commander? Really? I thought he seemed different. He kinda reminded me of- … Wait a minute." Her eyes grew wide as she alternated shocked glances between father and son, as she finally began to process what he was saying. "Y-you mean, you and Mist are the Commander's kids?!"

"Uh, yeah, we are. … Didn't I mention that earlier?" He asked with a confused tone, earning him a look of disbelief.

"N-no, you didn't!"

"Huh. Could've sworn I did." He obliviously scratched the back of his neck for only a moment before shrugging. "Still, I don't think it matters that much anyway, does it?"

At the mercenary's rather lackadaisical words, Reina couldn't help a small sigh. For someone that doesn't say much, he's a surprisingly carefree guy.

But as her gaze trailed to the sheath of his sword clacking repeatedly against his leg, she was also reminded of what he and the others did for her before.

'Oh, that's right… I still haven't said anything to him about that, have I.'

"U-um, Ike?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"About before… T-thank you so much for saving me."

Thinking she was referring to her close call with the cliff, Ike gave a slight smile. "Don't worry about it. I was just lucky to meet you at the entrance when I did. Or at least, earlier than the cliff bottom would have." He ended half-jokingly, getting her to shake her head.

"N-no, not that. But I-I am thankful for that, too." She quickly added before elaborating, "I mean, with the bandits. Thank you, a-and, um, I'm sorry for the trouble." She bowed her head for good measure.

"Whoa hey, relax. It's okay, really. If anything, it's me that has things to answer for." He insisted, his face now grimacing into a regretful frown. "Truth is, yesterday I just did whatever I wanted. I really ended up inconveniencing a lot of people for that. That being said, it wasn't like you, Rolf and Mist asked to be kidnapped, either. How about we call it even, and leave it at that."

"Eh? Um... if you i-insist... But..." She suddenly felt herself grow shy at the next thought, going quiet and puzzling him.

"But... What is it?"

She fidgeted for a moment, before finally mumbling out, "I-I'm sorry, I know you got in t-trouble, but... I'm really glad you d-did what you… did." She immediately looked down, embarrassed and red-faced.

At her awkward but kind words, the mercenary allowed a small smile. He turned back to the fort, but not without a final nod of acknowledgement. "I'll see you inside for dinner."

Reina lifted her head in time to watch his red-caped back disappear inside. He was blunt, but... it definitely wasn't an unkind honesty, either.

She glanced back at the courtyard behind her to sigh one last time. Looks like she'll have to meet the voice another day.

"Heeeey, Reina! Can you bring the potatoes inside?! We need to start the peeling!"

She jumped at the sound of Mist's voice coming from the kitchen. "S-sure! I'm coming!" She ran to pick up the remaining groceries, struggling to carry them through the door. For now, it was another unconventional day seen through, and that was enough for her.


End file.
